Dear Neighbor,
The CTA has provided my office with a complete work plan for the Morse “L” station rehabilitation project this summer.
Though the CTA got off to a rocky start ten days ago with some unannounced street closures and parking restrictions, I’m pleased to report since then the agency and its contractor have worked well with my office to ensure notice to the surrounding community is adequate and the work footprint kept as small as possible.
Below is the current work plan and timeline. The plan calls for significant street closures and parking restrictions on many weekends from now through the end of July. It is subject to change due to weather and unexpected events. If major changes occur to this work plan, I will alert you via e-mail. I also will send out an e-mail at least once a week, reminding you of upcoming street closures and service changes.
Morse “L” station scheduled to close Friday, June 29th
Work on CTA storefronts at Morse and Lunt to begin this week
Street closures and parking restrictions from Thursday, June 14th through Monday, June 18th
Morse “L” station scheduled to close Friday, June 29th
The station itself is still scheduled to close on Friday, June 29th and will remain closed for six weeks until Friday, August 10th. During the closure, the CTA will renovate the station interior and expand the station house into the vacant storefront that once housed a currency exchange on the southeast corner of the site. In the interim, commuters are advised to take the #155 Devon bus to the Loyola “L” station or walk to the Loyola or Jarvis “L” stations.
Work on CTA storefronts at Morse and Lunt to begin this week
The CTA will begin work this week on the storefronts adjacent to the Morse and Lunt entrances. Most of the work will take place inside the stores, but some minimal exterior work will also occur, including tuck-pointing and replacing the doors, windows and exterior light fixtures. Temporary fencing will be placed outside the storefronts and one lane of traffic will be closed on Lunt and Morse, with Morse limited to eastbound traffic only. Glenwood will remain fully open in both directions and customers will have access to both the Lunt and Morse entrances to the station until the station closes on June 29th.
The Morse station rehabilitation also entails significant work to the tracks and viaducts adjacent to the station. This work will continue to require periodic street closures and on-street parking restrictions.
Street closures and parking restrictions from Thursday, June 14th through Monday, June 18th
Beginning this Thursday, June 14th through next Monday, June 18th, the CTA will continue the track work it began on the first weekend of June. This time, the two western tracks will be replaced, new ballasts will be installed, and a new drainage system and waterproofing will be put in place to prevent leakage during rain storms. In addition, the concrete track bed and walls will be repaired. The work is being performed on the weekend to minimize disruption to CTA commuters.
The Morse station will remain open during this phase of the construction. As part of the project this weekend, northbound (Howard-bound) trains will not stop at Loyola, Morse or Jarvis from 10 p.m. Friday, June 15th, until 4:00 a.m. Monday, June 18th. For service from these stations, take a 95th-bound train to Thorndale and transfer to a Howard-bound train. For service to these stations, take a Howard-bound train to Howard and transfer to a 95th-bound train.
Beginning 6 a.m., Thursday, June 14th, until 1 a.m., Sunday, June 17th, the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic and no parking will be allowed:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) fromGreenleaf to Farwell
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Morse to Lunt
Beginning 1 a.m., Sunday, June 17th, until 12 Noon, Monday, June 18th, the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic and no parking will be allowed:
- Lunt from the CTA tracks to Greenview
- Morse from the CTA tracks to Greenview
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) fromGreenleaf to Farwell
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Morse to Lunt (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
The actual work will take place from 10 p.m. Friday, June 15th until 4 a.m., Monday, June 18th. The streets are closed in advance of the work to accommodate the staging area for the construction. The CTA’s contractor will be bringing in huge amounts of gravel and track and needs a large area to store the materials and provide room for the trucks that will be hauling in the materials. The CTA and the contractor will consult with area businesses to ensure the materials are placed at locations that minimize as much as possible disruption to business activity.
The contractor will place a tarp over the murals on southbound Glenwood to protect them from possible damage. The trees on the embankment will remain, but some tree branches may be removed to allow for access to the construction.
During this upcoming weekend, the Glenwood Sunday Market will relocate from its usual Glenwood Avenue location on the west side of the tracks to Glenwood on the east side of the tracks between Morse and Lunt. The Market will maintain its usual Sunday hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please note: In the event of heavy rain, this work may be postponed. The construction foreman will make the call no later than Saturday morning and, if necessary, the work will be rescheduled to July 26-July 30. All equipment will be removed promptly, the streets re-opened to vehicular traffic and parking, and the Glenwood Sunday Market will operate at its usual location on the west side of Glenwood, between Morse and Lunt.
Periodic street closures and parking restrictions from Thursday, June 28th, through Monday, July 23rd
Beginning Thursday, June 28th, and continuing through at least the third week of July, the CTA will close streets and restrict parking periodically to enable the completion of the track and ballast work and the removal and replacement of the station platform. These street closures and parking restrictions will occur Thursday mornings through mid-day Mondays. Below are the street closures organized by date and times:
Thursday, June 28th, 6 a.m., to Sunday, July 1st, 1 a.m.:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse
Sunday, July 1st, 1 a.m. to Monday, July 2nd, 12 noon:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
Thursday, July 5th, 6 a.m., to Sunday, July 8th, 1 a.m.:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
Sunday, July 8th, 1 a.m., to Monday, July 9th, 12 noon:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
Thursday, July 12th, 6 a.m., to Sunday, July 15th, 1 a.m.:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Greenleaf to Farwell
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Morse to Lunt
Sunday, July 15th, 1 a.m., to Monday, July 16th, 12 noon:
- Lunt from the CTA tracks to Greenview
- Morse from the CTA tracks to Greenview
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Greenleaf to Farwell
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Morse to Lunt (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
Note: On Sunday, July 15th, the Glenwood Sunday Market will relocate from its usual Glenwood Avenue location on the west side of the tracks to the east side of the tracks, between Morse and Lunt. The Market will maintain its usual Sunday hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday, July 19th, 6 a.m., to Sunday, July 22nd, 1 a.m.:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to Greenview
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse
Sunday, July 22nd, 1 a.m., to Monday, July 23rd, 12 noon:
- Lunt from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Morse from the alley immediately east of Glenwood to the CTA tracks
- Northbound Glenwood (east side of the tracks) from Farwell to Greenleaf
- Southbound Glenwood (west side of the tracks) from Lunt to Morse (will re-open 3 p.m. Sunday)
As I indicated above, this schedule is subject to change based on weather and unexpected events. If major changes occur in the work plan or schedule, I will let you know immediately through my electronic newsletter and postings on my Facebook page.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office atward49@cityofchicago.org or contact the CTA directly through Jeff Wilson, the CTA’s Government and Community Relations Officer, at jwilson@transitchicago.com.
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
http://www.facebook.com/joemoore49
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